1. A circle passes through the points (2,1) and (3,5). The line 8x + 5y = 8 passes through its center.

Find
the coordinates of the center and the radius of the circle. (6 points)

Key concept: the perpendicular bisector of a chord in a circle passes through that circle’s center.

1. Get the equation of the line passing through (2,1) and (3,5)
a. The equation of the line passing through (2,1) and (3,5) is y = 4x - 7
2. Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of the chord formed by connecting (2,1) and
(3,5).
a. A line perpendicular to y = 4x - 7 has m = -1/4
b. The bisector passes through the midpoint of the line segment formed by (2,1) and (3,5).
The midpoint of this line segment is (2.5, 3)
c. The equation of the perpendicular bisector is y = -x/4 + 3.625
3. This line also passes through the center, so now we know two lines which intersect at the
center. Solve the system of equations to find (h,k)
4. h = -1.5 and k = 4. To find the radius, we can take the distance from (-1.5, 4) to any of the given
points. We find that r = 4.60977

Purple: Circle
Yellow: Equation of the line through (2,1) and (3,5). Note the part of the line inside the circle
forming a chord.

Red: Perpendicular bisector of yellow.

Cyan: Given line through the center

2. Is (2,3) inside or outside (x-3)2 + (y-5)2 = 81?

r=9

C = (3, 5)

Using the radius and the center, we can determine the values of x and y bounded by the circle.

Minimum x = 3 – 9 = -6
Maximum x = 3 + 9 = 12
Minimum y = 5 – 9 = -4
Maximum y = 5 + 9 = 14

Points inside the circle have domain {x|-6 < x < 12}

Points inside the circle have range {y|-4 < y < 14}

 The given point is inside the circle.

3. What is the equation of a circle with a diameter of 10, such that one of the circle’s diameters has
a slope of 1 with endpoints (0,0) and (x, y), given that x > 0?

Because the diameter is 10, we know that r = 5.

Now consider the diameter with slope 1. It connects the origin to a point (x, y). Because the slope is
1, this implies that x = y for all points lying on this diameter, which includes our center.
Because x > 0, this also implies that y > 0.

We can construct a right triangle 5 units from the origin on this diameter with slope 1, and solve for
h and k using the Pythagorean theorem:

(h - 0)2 + (k - 0)2 = 25

h = k because x = y.

2h2 = 25

h = k = 5sqrt(2) / 2

 The equation of the circle is (x-5sqrt(2)/2)2 + (y-5sqrt(2)/2)2 = 25.